Rich Bride Poor Bride: Cheese Boutique edition

Meandering around CheeseB on Sunday was a production crew for Rich Bride Poor Bride for an upcoming episode on the Slice network. The segment of course was over cheese! Specifically about wedding cakes that CheeseB have put together and that have been getting so much attention of late.

Afrim's expertise was called into the debate on the segment, to showcase to the bride and groom what the end result would be, with their own wedding planners, Laura and Kelly, consulting and giving their feedback for the show. To find out if the bride and groom splurge on the cake or not...check your local listings in the upcoming TV season.

SAY CHEESE! Cliché with purpose...

This time its only cheese that does the smiling... you'll find more pics like these at the store.
With the last days of summer upon us...this is the calm before the storm...lots of announcements coming soon.... enjoy the pics!





Like what you see? When you get a combination of seasoned pros such as Paula Wilson-photographer and Chantal Payette as stylist the result is a fun blend of textures that you just want to....sink your teeth into!

C is for Cheese

"Say Cheeeeeeeese!"

Kids, of course, love cheese, even if some of it is older than they are!
The Swansea Nursery School came by for a summer visit and Afrim Pristine was delighted to hone the minds of future aficionados.

Goings-on around CheeseB

A class of Chefs-to-Be from George Brown toured CheeseB yesterday, with Afrim Pristine as guide. The students and their prof are about to depart for the second term of their training-- four undoubtedly wonderful months in Italy.


Afrim, recently returned from Italy himself, enthusiastically regaled the group with stories of time spent there-- that fundamental passion for food, terroir, and taking the time to enjoy simple pleasures which is a way of life. Within the chilly and fragrant confines of the Cheese Vault he spoke about such things as the mysterious process of aging a cheese, and the partnership between the producer of a cheese and the affineur that continues the "evolution" of the product.

Over to the deli counter, comparisons were made via taste-testing as samples of prosciutto and speck, sbrinz and parmiggiano reggiano made the rounds.

When Afrim departed for an in-store TV interview (popular guy these days!), and the crowd dispersed, I checked out the new Gragnano pasta display at the front of the store. With the taste of that delicious prosciutto and parmiggiano still on my tongue, I think to myself-- I may not be able to go to Italy whenever I want, but CheeseB is always right here!

Speaking of TV interviews, Afrim will be on Cityline this Monday to talk about... the Lunchbox. Back-to-school time is fast approaching after all. Hmm, a Pristine lunchbox doesn't contain your average ham-and-cheese sandwich, I'll wager...

Peaches, Bratwurst and the Grill

Beautiful Bratwurst on the BBQ

Peach and Sage skewers

Maybe some have found the lackluster weather we've had this summer to be a bit of a deterrent in getting out that BBQ. If so I don't blame them, but right now I think I am becoming convinced that everything we eat should be cooked on the grill. It just tastes so darn good that way!

I stumbled across grilled peach and sage skewers recipe on Chow, and simply had to give it a try. A peach is a peach is a sweet, juicy peach, and CheeseB has several different kinds. And it's Peach season! So I picked up one of each, and the differences in texture and colour create a nice subtle bit of interest on the skewers. They were delicious just as is: raw, with lemon juice, pepper, and sea salt, but after grilling became wonderfully smokey, carmelized and soft.

Instead of chicken sausages suggested in the Chow recipe, I used freshly made (that day) Cheese Boutique's Bratwurst sausages. Substantial things they were, nicely textured and seasoned with herbs, a perfectly delicious combination with the sweet grilled peaches.

Here is some good news, too: the forecast this week is looking warm and sunny and perfect for grilling...

Bravado Avocado

We spotted Chef Juan Salinas and a tray of luscious butter-cream frosted chocolate cupcakes recently in the patio of CheeseB, and, naturally, stopped to learn more.
As it turns out, those cupcakes were baked with avocado. And those friendly folks he was speaking to were with Faye Clack on behalf of avocado growers. Guess what-- they are planning an event with Chef Juan on September 16th, Mexican Independence Day, At Union Station between 6-9am (early morning commuters take note!) there will be good things to eat and a chance to win 20, 000 avocados!

That's a fabulous prize... but you may wonder: what if they all ripen at once?

Ah ha, attend this event and learn the trick for ripening your avocados in a timely manner, and other tips and info. And did I mention there will be food? I suspect a certain green fruit (yes it's a fruit!) will be featured.